Weed killer turns neighbor against neighbor in farm country

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A dispute over a common weed killer is turning neighbor against neighbor across much of farm country.

The furor surrounding the herbicide dicamba has quickly become the biggest controversy of its kind in U.S. agriculture. And it is even suspected as a factor in the death of a farmer who was allegedly shot by a worker from a nearby farm where the chemical had been sprayed.

Crops near many treated soybean fields have turned up with leaves that were cupped and crinkled.

Concern about the herbicide drifting onto unprotected fields spawned lawsuits and prompted Arkansas and Missouri to impose temporary bans on dicamba. Losses could climb into the tens of millions of dollars, if not higher. And that could affect other products that rely on soybeans, including chicken.